1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to inflators and particularly to a manual gas inflator.
2. Background of the Art
U.S. Coast Guard regulations require that gas inflators provide a status indicator for the gas cylinder attached to the inflator. The status indicator informs the user of the cylinder status prior to needing the inflator to inflate an inflatable item such as, but not limited to, life vests, rafts, etc. Typically two states are provided for the status, either operable or spent. Typically a green color indicates that the cylinder is full and operable, while a red color indicates that the cylinder has been spent. Prior inflator designs use the attachment of the cylinder itself to position the status indicator. The present invention is directed to a manual gas inflator that positions the status indicator independent of the cylinder.